The New World- Again

The incredulous descent on the escalator was actually a moment ripe with possibility and potential. It seemed to be a mild inside joke, some thing that was surely somewhat predictable and nevertheless surprising in its reality. It seemed flashy and unthreatening and doomed before fruition, and belief in all that resulted in incorrect summation.

The world was destined to change, and few would have imagined just how much it would do so over the following half decade. Just a year and a half beyond that fateful escalator trip, Donald John Trump stunned the nation by becoming the 45th President of the United States. It truly was an incredible feat, especially considering the apparent lack of political experience and expertise that the man held. He decisively defeated his opponent with electoral college votes, although many would be unsettled by the fact that the opponent, Hillary Rodman Clinton, earned some three million more popular votes.

In fact, many of these dissenters proclaimed, “Trump is not MY president!” That did not seem quite right. The undiluted truth stated that the American people had spoken, and although the outcome was viewed in certain circles as controversial or invalid, it truly was not.

A deeply held belief in the American military is an almost unwavering support for the commander in chief, and it was important that the citizenry of the nation find some way to do the same. In so doing, the president would be more likely to achieve success, and the citizenry would inherently benefit. However, this tradition and norm, like so many others, would be strained at best during the four years of the Trump administration.

Now, after years of civil rights unrest, accusations of corruption, and even a life-altering global pandemic, a shocking resurgence of various types of extremism has turned the government on its head. The safety of the country’s highest elected officials, including second- and third-in-command, is in jeopardy. No matter the eyes through which this history is witnessed, heartache and disappointment are the consequences.

It is right to question. It is proper to debate. It is actually necessary to research and investigate and take action to correct injustice, create positive relationships, and improve human life in all the many ways it can be. Unfortunately, the line between right and wrong has never been more misconstrued.

In this moment, the nation shakily awaits the ushering in of the new administration of Joseph Robinette Biden Jr., the freshly elected 46th leader of the free world. He embodies the traditions and norms of the government of the past. The expectations of how the new administration will present and behave are fairly foreseeable. Does that mean that the formerly embraced traditions and norms will be reenacted? Is it possible that the nation has the capacity to hope for the best for this new president, and therefore itself?

Inevitably, history will unfold in the coming days leading up to the inauguration of 2021. Each and every individual citizen will bear personal responsibility for their actions and inactions during the events to come. This includes the soon-to-be former president himself.

President Trump- the world is watching. In their wisdom, the Founding Fathers created a system that, although not perfect in all execution, is perfect in its ideals. You, yourself, enjoyed the pinnacle position enabled within it. Now, as you experience yet another, completely new, stage in your life, the people of the United States will bear witness to a resurrection of those previously-held traditions and norms. The million-dollar question is, will there be newly-birthed ones, as well?